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Gut Reaction: Mets 5, Phillies 4 (4/12/17)

For 5.2 innings, it seemed as if Zack Wheeler would have a shutout performance. After a rough first start, Wheeler bounced back solidly. He allowed only four hits and struck out four over 85 pitches. He will unfortunately be charged with three earned runs after leaving in the bottom of the sixth with two outs. Hansel Robles then proceeded to surrender a grand slam on the first pitch he threw on the night. For Wheeler, winning his first game since 2014 is a major step in coming back from Tommy John surgery.

Other than Robles stumbling, the bullpen was satisfactory . My gut reaction is that Robles was ineffective tonight due to him being used the previous two nights. While this is no excuse for Robles, it may simply have been too much work for him on too little rest. Jerry Blevins and Fernando Salas produced their typical effective outings, and Addison Reed came on to make the save.

While the Mets did not club 20 runs like they did Tuesday night, they were formidable enough to get the job done. Michael Conforto accepted the lead off role, hitting a home run and a single in the role. Yoenis Cespedes contributed a double, while Asdrubal Cabrera, Jay Bruce, and Neil Walker each produced a hit. All five Mets runs were drove in by the opening three in the line up. Conforto drove in one, while Cespedes and Cabrera each drove in a pair.

The Mets swept the three game series from the Phillies, and have won four straight overall. Next, the Mets will go down to Miami to get their second go around against the Marlins. The series starts tomorrow night at 7:10 when Robert Gsellman takes the mound.

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13 comments for “Gut Reaction: Mets 5, Phillies 4 (4/12/17)”

TexasGusCC

April 12, 2017 at 11:56 pm

My gut reaction: Bring up Lagares and send down Robles. Tonight was inexcusable to come into that spot and put the pitch down the pipe, like Franco wasn’t allowed to swing or something? How do you groove any pitch in that situation? I’ve said many times that Robles has a 10 cents brain and I can’t trust him in a crucial situation. He might do the job, he may put it down the middle which is his history and thus always seemingly giving up more homeruns than his stuff should permit.

Other than that, Conforto, I’m going to miss you. Go make them wish they made room for you when they could have!

Great job Zack, welcome back. Great having you.

Is anyone else allowed to play 3B? Another guy “we have to get going”? I mean, maybe get the other guys in there too since Reyes was supposed to have been a sub anyway? Are we benching an al-star?

Eraff, I understand you but to understand me, read your fifth line. They have played the little sisters of the poor so far, and games in April are as important as September.

Reyes did not need to be in all three games – especially while struggling – and Robles doesn’t focus all the time and we know that for three years. Want to wait til he costs you, or you want to teach him a lesson now?

They are 6-3 as should be expected as this point of the schedule. Wheeler pitched well and Robles not too good. Next week Familia will be available and should be back soon. Robles is 5th in the bullpen. Perfect on one day, not too good in a non pressure situation the next night. Right now, he is a second tier reliever with the talent to do better.
Conforto is making it uncomfortable for the Mets to send him down. Bruce and Duda are hot. Granderson is starting off slow. Lagares, with his weak bat, may become just a defensive replacement. Conforto is applying the pressure to play.
A split in Miami would be okay, but there should be a revenge motive from last weekend and the Mets have some fish to fry. Three of four would send a message.

As much as that pitch hurt, Robles was in a tough spot. Third day in a row, bases loaded, very good & dangerous hitter.

And, well, Robles isn’t in that rare stratosphere that he’s going to be brilliant all the time.

He’s maddening and frustrating at times but light years beyond Montero and Seward (who does not impress me) and Edgin.

The idea of sending Robles down to send a message is just nutty, IMO.

And for the record: I don’t blame Terry for this. In fact, I think you could review the past 9 games and not find a single “mistake” with the bullpen, an area where it’s almost universally accepted he’s terrible.

Wheeler was gassed and battling and could have been pulled a little sooner. At the same time, it was reasonable and forward-thinking to keep him in the game.

Nothing Collins has done so far has blown up in his face. But I wouldn’t go so far as to say he hasn’t made a single “mistake.”

He didn’t need to pitch Reed in a four-run game when he had pitched the night before. But the Mets went and got blown out the next two games and didn’t need their closer, so it didn’t bite Collins.

He didn’t need to pitch Robles last night for the third straight game. Robles entered with a five-run lead and left with a one-run lead. And the other relievers did great, so it didn’t bite Collins.

Pitching Montero the day after he threw 2.2 innings wasn’t the best idea Collins has ever had. It was a game they were losing already, so Montero only added to the deficit. So, it didn’t blow up in his face.

I like Robles because of his ability to throw heat. But he’s pitched 131 games in the majors and has a pretty strong reverse platoon split. He was brought on to face a righty yesterday and he gave up a homer. And he was brought back out to start the seventh because the leadoff batter was a righty.

I put Lagares in to start against every LHP. A rotation of Bruce, Grandy, and Conforto is a loser against lefty pitching. Dont forget Nimmo, also a lefty. That was super bad planning. Lagares plays a critical role.

Lagares has been in the majors four years. In the year when he had the most PA against LHP, he had a .657 OPS. In his most recent year versus LHP, he had a .650 OPS.

The bulk of his case for being good against lefties comes in 94 PA in 2014, when he had a .424 BABIP.

Could he do good in a role as a lefty platoon player? Sure, as 2014 proved anything can happen in a small sample. But the idea that somehow he is a must-start option when the other team throws a lefty is simply one I cannot get behind.

At this point, I’d 10X rather see Conforto in the starting lineup than Lagares, regardless of which hand the pitcher throws with.

Unfortunately Conforto isnt a center fielder by any stretch of the imagination. I am less worried about production from there as a whole of you can put someone in that can score runs with his glove. Lagares can do that. In fact Lagares is the only center fielder this team has, although we have 4 lefty hitting right fielders. I give him the LHP starts to increase any offense we get.

The Mets really need to lose the goofy post-game crown they are forcing the player of the game to wear during interviews.

It’s so dumb.

I understand the idea came from David Wright, who wanted to do away with the belt they used to use to celebrate the player of the game. Now the idea, I gather, is to make the player look as ridiculous as possible.

I hope that Noah has it in him to say, “Yeah, no, not doing that.”

Worse than the stupid white towels they used to wave back in 2014.

Oh, and on Wright:

How scary is it when TC announces that David is starting to throw? I have a 6-year-old kid down the block. He’s starting to throw, too.